Crochet-hook.



C. R. HALLETT.

CROCHET HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. m5.

Patented July 25, 1916.

CHARLES :RJ .HALLETT, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CROCHET-HOOK.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jilly 25, 1916.

Application filed April 27, 1915. Serial No. 24,181.

To all whom it may concern; v

Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. I'IALLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crochet-Hooks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in crochet hooks, my object being to provide a device of this character which, when the hook is not in use, may be adjusted to hold the thread employed in the work so that when the user resumes the work after a period of cessation, no delay is required for the purpose of finding the thread.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which shall be collapsible or reducible to relatively small compass when not in use. This collapsible feature afiects the instrument in a lengthwise or longitudinal direction. In other words, the needle member of the hook when adjusted to hold the thread is also moved toward the body or handle of the device, whereby the length of the instrument is considerably reduced.

In general construction, the device consists of a frame or body member composed of a loop approximately circular at its closed extremity and having two parallel or ap n'oximately parallel spring arms extending beyond its closed extremity, the extremities of these arms being connected by a band secured thereto. The needle member of the device or that having the hook proper at its free extremity is con nocted at its inner end with a clasp which engages the two approximately parallel parts or arms of the body member and is freely slidable thereon. When this clasp is moved toward the circular end of the body member, the two parts of the latter upon which the clasp is slidable, are moved slightly inwardly toward each other, whereby they are placed under tension to hold the clasp securely in the adjusted position. When this clasp is moved to what may be termed its rearward position of adjustment, the hook extremity of the needle member is brought into engagement with the band which connects the forward extremities of the parallel parts or arms of the body member, thus making it practicable to hold the thread or strand. When the clasp is moved forwardly to extend the needle for operating purposes, the forward extremity of the clasp is caused to abut or engage the rear extremity of the band, the clasp having a forwardly projecting spring lip which is adapted to engage a small button mounted on the band and which will raise the spring lip sufficiently to allow the button to slip into a shallow cavity formed in the lip, thus temporarily locking the clasp in the adj usted position and securely holding the needle extended during use.

Having briefly outlined my improvement,

' I will proceed to describe the same in detail,

reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing,-Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved instrument. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s an elevation of the device in the collapsed position. Fig. 4: is a section taken on the line 47*4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55, Fig. 3.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the body or handle of the instrument, which as shown in the drawing, is formed from an integral piece of relatively strong spring wire, arranged in the form of a closed loop, the closed end of the loop consisting of an approximately circular part 6 which merges mto spring arms 7 arranged in approximately parallel relation. The forward ends of these parts 7 are connected by a band 8 to which the arm extremities are secured.

Slidably mounted on the parts 7 of the handle is a clasp 9 which is connected with the inner extremity of a needle 10. As shown in the drawing, the inner extremity of the needle is provided with an eye or an elongated opening 12 which is entered by a lip 13 which is integral with the clasp 9 and formed by slitting the latter slightly both longitudinally and transversely, as shown at 14 and 15, and bending the part thus freed on two sides, downwardly and passing its free extremity through the eye of the needle as shown at 16 (see Figs. 4 and 5). The sides of this clasp extending laterally from the needle in both directions are bent around the arms 7 of the handle of the device and closely engage the same, but are nevertheless slidable freely thereon. This clasp is provided with a forwardly projecting spring lip 17 which when the needle is extended, is caused to engage a small convex projection 18 formed on the band 8, the lip 17 having a recess which is the counterpart of the projection 18 which fits thereinto. By virtue of this construction and arrangement, the needle is secured in the extended position while in use; but when it becomes necessary to collapse the device, the lip 17 will readily I yield in response to apull on the clasp 9 in a rearward direction. At the same time, the hook 19 of the needlewill draw the thread with it and retain the thread as long as the device is in the collapsed or inactive position. As the clasp is moved rearwardly, the arms 7 are compressed or moved inwardly toward each other to cause them to change their normal or slightly diverging position as illustrated in Fig. 1, to the parallel position illustrated in Fig. 3. By virtue of this construction, the arms 7 are placed under sufficient tension to securely retain the needle holding clasp in the adjusted position. It should also be explained that the shank of the needlemoves freely through the band 8 between the extremities of the arms 7 to which this band is secured.

Having thus described my invention,v

what I claim is,

1. A crochet hook comprising a handle member, and a needle member suitably connected with the handle member to permit extension, one of the members having a 7 spring lip provided with a recess, the other member having a projection adapted to enter said recess to temporarily lock the parts ably engaging the arms of the latter, said clasp being provided with a lip and the inner'cxtremity of the needle having an open ing formed therein adapted to receive the said lip, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afl'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. HALLETT.

Witnesses MAZE KIRBY, V, A. EBERT OBRIEN..

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

